1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical access device that is removably insertable into a patient's tissue. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a surgical access device including a seal assembly adapted to accommodate the insertion of surgical instrumentation and/or surgical filaments, while substantially limiting the communication of fluids therethrough.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many surgical procedures are performed through access devices, e.g., trocar and cannula assemblies. These devices incorporate narrow tubes or cannula percutaneously inserted into a patient's body, through which one or more surgical objects may be introduced to access a surgical worksite. Generally, such procedures are referred to as “endoscopic,” unless the procedure is related to the examination/treatment of a joint, in which case the procedure is referred to as “arthroscopic”, or to the examination/treatment of a patient's abdomen, in which case the procedure is referred to as “laparoscopic.”
During these procedures, surgical filaments are often used to repair openings in skin, internal organs, blood vessels, and the like, as in the case of meniscal repair, and to join various tissues together, as in the reattachment of ligaments or tendons to bone. Additionally, a fluid, such as saline or an insufflation gas, e.g., carbon dioxide, is often introduced into the surgical worksite to increase visibility or access to tissue that is the subject of the procedure. Accordingly, the establishment and maintenance of a substantially fluid-tight seal is desirably to curtail the escape of such fluids and thereby preserve the integrity of the surgical worksite. To this end, surgical access devices generally incorporate a seal through which the surgical object and/or surgical filaments are inserted.
While many varieties of seals are known in the art, there exists a continuing need for a seal that can accommodate a variety of differently-sized surgical objects and/or surgical filaments while substantially limiting the escape of fluids.